Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday found himself in the dock over his “insensitive” comment about a farmer activist from Solapur rooting for irrigation water for villages from a nearby dam, with the Opposition demanding his resignation for his “most objectionable” remark.
Under severe flak from various quarters for his remarks against farmer-activist Prabhakar Deshmukh who has long been on a dharna to press for his demand, Ajit Pawar late on Sunday apologised for his remarks.
A statement issued from the Deputy Chief Minister’s office said that Ajit Pawar had apologised for his remarks made at his Saturday’s rally at Indapur in Pune district where he had ridiculed Deshmukh saying: “Who is this Deshmukh... what is the point of his uposhanIJ Will it yield waterIJ When there is no water where will I arrange water fromIJ Should I urinateIJ”
Deshmukh, a farmer- activist from Solapur in western Maharashta, has been on a dharna at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai for the past two months demanding irrigation water for villages from the nearby Ujani dam, water from which is reportedly being diverted to a dairy linked to Pawars.
In another equally controversial comment, Ajit Pawar — nephew of Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar — had said: “I have also come to know that because of power load-shedding in Maharashtra, there has been an increase in population. What else you can expect people to do, if there is shortage of power in the State”.
Coming down heavily on the DCM for his “ridiculous” and “irresponsible” remarks, leaders of various Opposition parties — including Sena’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra’s BJP president Sudhir Mungantiwar — demanded the immediate ouster of Ajitdada from the Maharashtra Cabinet.
Condemning the Deputy CM’s remarks, leader of the Opposition in th State legislative Council Vinod Tawde of the BJP said: “It is highly condemnable that a person holding such a high office as that of the Deputy CM has chosen to ridicule a farmer and that too at a time when the State is reeling under severe drought. This kind of a comment by the Deputy CM will force Maharashtra to hang its head in shame”.
“One can ignore if someone makes an ill-informed comment. But, it is different thing if a Deputy CM makes such a ludicrous comment. One cannot get lower than this in in Maharashtra politics,” BJP functionary Shaina NC said.
Demanding Ajit Pawar’s resignation, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) said in a statement issued here that “It is shameful and shocking. Ajit Pawar, the Deputy CM has insulted and ridiculed the State’s drought-hit population. His address in Indapur taluka is shameful. AAP demands his immediate resignation”.
“Clearly Ajit Pawar has lost his mental balance after AAP’s protest on April 5 wherein our volunteers declared that Ajit Pawar is responsible for the State’s worst man-made drought,” the statement said.